SchoolPinnd is proud to be a Benefit company (B Corp).  Below are answers to key questions submitted in the Annual Benefit Report (Form 15-8898) to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania:

Question:

A narrative description of:

• the ways in which the benefit company pursued general public benefit during the year and the extent to which general public benefit was created;

SchoolPinnd, a software-as-a-service providing a smart and simple solution, is an online collaborative platform for parents, guardians and other stakeholders of a particular school community to exchange information/communicate with each other and be more informed and better equipped to get answers to everyday questions, all in a coordinated, trustworthy and private environment.  It is a comprehensive platform which increases connectivity amongst its users and adds significant value to communication and information exchange in a streamlined and organized structure.  Hence, facilitating and enhancing civic engagement ultimately for a better educational experience and a happier community, leading to a positive impact on student achievement.  SchoolPinnd emphasizes upon the power of family, education and community engagement through technology.

Over the last year and since the last (and first) benefit report was submitted to the Commonwealth in August 2018, SchoolPinnd has reached out and met with numerous organizations, schools and individuals introducing the platform in detail.  We have successfully beta tested the product and ran a small initial pilot.  The software was developed using a lean and organic approach after receiving community feedback through surveys, focus group, phone calls and community meetings.

Vision of SchoolPinnd:

1. have meaningful conversations and ask and learn from each other
2. encourage parents to become real partners and informed leaders in their communities
3. direct community impact: benefit folks who are new to the school by becoming a part of the school community
4. human capital: tap into the wealth of knowledge of our community

During beta testing, SchoolPinnd users engaged amongst each other to learn more about the topics listed below about their school and education:

1. curriculum and course offering
2. school programs, activities, clubs and events
3. health and wellness including sports and cafeteria options
4. role of technology and its use
5. school spirit and fundraising

With the increased support and interest from various organizations and individuals, we are continuing to establish and explore opportunities to partner with schools, related organizations and other (non-profit) organizations that conduct in-school or after-school clubs in underserved areas to see how SchoolPinnd can improve parent connectivity and fill the mentor-parent gap respectively.

SchoolPinnd is a member of Remake Learning Network, this memo, https://remakelearningdays.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/RLD19LearningMemo-Creating-STEAM-Pathways-for-Families.pdf, by the Global Family Research Project (https://globalfrp.org), strongly emphasizes engaged families and community and it ties very closely with the purpose and mission of SchoolPinnd, especially where it lists "CONNECTING FAMILIES TO EACH OTHER TO BUILD SOCIAL NETWORKS" and "...ways that schools and organizations are influencing how families connect with each other...".  Our goal remains that SchoolPinnd becomes the digital solution for the busy parents for positive outcomes.

In the fall of 2018, SchoolPinnd was lucky to be chosen to be paired with a graduate student at Chatham University who wrote several blogs for us, including usage of technology for family/community engagement and social impact in education, as her project to earn her graduating credits.  We shared some of her work through the e-newsletter sent to the patrons in SchoolPinnd’s email list and via social media.

In March 2019, we were given the opportunity to present SchoolPinnd to the Allegheny County’s Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Department (MWDBE) Governmental Committee which paved additional insights and avenues, for example introducing SchoolPinnd to other educational and non-profit organizations in the area.

• any circumstances that have hindered the creation by the benefit company of general or specific public benefit; and

Converting an idea into a real, tangible solution takes time and patience.  We thank the support and help we have received from various individuals and organizations during this journey.  To navigate a business which is in the start-up phase, requires flexibility, pivoting and agility.  SchoolPinnd is still in the process of attaining and incorporating specific school/districts and organizations in our online community.  We would continue to find and reach out to the decision-making individuals at organizations and interested parties and establish collaborative partnerships.  Also, with increased usage, at an appropriate time, we would address changing current features and inculcating additional features.

• the process and rationale for selecting or changing the third-party standard used to prepare the benefit report.

​After researching several third-party evaluation standards, SchoolPinnd chose the B Lab’s (www.bcorporation.net) B Impact Assessment (www.bimpactassessment.net) and will continue the same for this report as well.  For a start-up, not only does this assessment provide a flexible and a broad scope of measuring community and environmental impact, it also focuses on over all accountability and transparency.  The Assessment covers the impact of a business on its workers, suppliers, community and the environment. It also captures best practices regarding mission, measurement, and governance.  The Assessment identifies the company’s specific “Impact Business Models,” which include the targeted, formal focus on benefiting a particular stakeholder through products and services or internal practices.  In future, this assessment will continue to be a useful tool to benchmark our impact and performance and set goals to improve.  This standard has been utilized by approximately 2,933 companies, in 64 countries and in 150 different industries.  B Impact Assessment is one of the most comprehensive assessment tools for benefit companies.

​Question:

An assessment of the overall social and environmental performance of the benefit company against a third-party standard applied consistently with any application of that standard in prior benefit reports or accompanied by an explanation of the reasons for any inconsistent application.

This is the second report after the incorporation of SchoolPinnd, as a Benefit LLC.  We are very proud of what we have achieved thus far but these are just drops in the bucket and there is still lots to be accomplished via a bigger pilot(s).  We look forward to growing the business and establishing collaborative partnerships.  Below are the five areas that have been assessed in accordance to the B Impact Assessment:

Governance: SchoolPinnd was incorporated on July 17, 2017 as a Benefit LLC to ensure that the social and/or environmental mission of our company is established from day one and maintained over time.  This not only encourages us to assess our impact from the get go, but will also prove useful as a learning tool to improve and shape our future policies.  We believe in in-depth research from every aspect, including the business aspect.  Hence, we have read and consulted the IBISWorld Industry Report relevant to us.  Our mission will always strive us to be accountable, transparent and trustworthy.  We hope that SchoolPinnd becomes one of the most important tools in any parent’s digital dashboard.  In the near future, we plan to form our Board of Advisors.

Some of the institutions who have provided their support are Chatham University, Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship; University of Pittsburgh Small Business Development Center, Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence; Remake Learning Network; Kidsburgh; UpPrize; Innovation Works; Carnegie Mellon University; Ascender Incubator; Riverside Center for Innovation; SCORE.

In May 2019, SchoolPinnd LLC successfully completed the Pennsylvania Department of General Services’ process for self-certification as a small business under the Commonwealth’s Small Business Contracting Program and also received the Small Diverse Business Verification.

Workers: Himani Jain/SchoolPinnd achieved the MBE, WBE and DBE certifications from the MWDBE (Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) Department of the County of Allegheny via the Pennsylvania Unified Certification Program (PA UCP) on May 30, 2018 and has received the recertification again for this year.  This is one of the highest levels of certification and is also recognized by other organizations and states.  We constantly remain engaged and attend events relevant to the entrepreneurial and education realms, in Pittsburgh, including the 2018 Pittsburgh Business Show.  From October 2018 – December 2018, Himani Jain, successfully completed the 2018 Biz Fit Tier 3 Entrepreneurial Training Program presented by the Riverside Center for Innovation (RCI), the Diversity Business Resource Center (DBRC) and University of Pittsburgh Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

Community: The initial niche is facilitating the parental communication and involvement for an immediate specific need/project of an organization, for example Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs) and After-School-Clubs.  As a business which is technology based, service driven and education driven, we constantly seek to establish direct partnerships with non-profits which serve low-income and/or under-served communities.  SchoolPinnd was also recognized as a great initiative and a useful resource to the community by the Northern Connection Magazine who featured an article in their June 2018 issue.  We continually seek to reach out to the community via events or meetings.

Environment: SchoolPinnd has established a collaborative relationship with Plant Five for Life which is a Pittsburgh non-profit that connects children and families to nature.  In 2018, we attended their first planting event of 1200 trees.  We will continue to explore the endless educational opportunities through this partnership which can mutually benefit each other, for example via planting opportunities and mentoring families, as we grow and roll out our pilot programs.

Impact Business Models: We strongly believe that education is universal and is the backbone for the progress of a society.  SchoolPinnd’s social impact is committed towards including parents in the education of their children through its comprehensive online private social networking and communication service.  Since we are just starting out, we want to establish best practices in our pilot programs.  We have successfully introduced the vision of SchoolPinnd and the functionalities of the platform in detail to various interested parties via presentations and live demos.  We will also increase focus upon working closely with non-profits and organizations which are education based.  In addition, we constantly seek to engage in education and technology related events locally which improves our awareness and opens new doors for future collaborations.

This past year, SchoolPinnd also became a client of the local Government Contracting Assistance Center (GCAC)/ Government Agency Coordination Office (GACO) and has attended several business related seminars and webinars via GACO.